Star Wars Perfection?

May 06, 1986|The Morning Call

To the Editor:

The concept of mutually assured destruction has always been likened to me to that of two men with dueling pistols aimed at each other, not wanting to shoot the other, but also afraid to put down the pistol for fearthe other will shoot. Star Wars could be likened to the creation of a shield which would protect a combatant from the weapon of the other, but would still allow the combatant with the shield to shoot the other. This is why the Russians fear and oppose Star Wars, yet we all know that while they oppose it they will certainly do their best to try and match it. Let them. I think if the pursuit of high tech has taught us anything (as with the space shuttle for instance) it is that the more complex a system becomes the bleaker become the prospects for anything approaching perfection.

The best that could be hoped for by an American or Russian defensive shield would be the certainty of uncertainty. Neither side would ever know to what extent its offense would be effective against the defense of the other. Military technology is becoming so complex that we could always be sure of that. Maybe a hopelessly deadlocked high tech game of measure versus countermeasure might emerge which might possibly be somewhat preferable to the undeniably strong, certain, and dangerous paranoia which mutually assured destruction provides us. It would be a strange paradox indeed if the ultimate failure to find a "perfect" space shield might be a measure of it's success.